The Finalists

Recognises a business that prioritises staff wellbeing and fosters a positive, inclusive and supportive workplace culture.

BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park stands out as a finalist for the Outstanding Workplace Award thanks to its inclusive culture, strong community ties, and collaborative spirit. The team fosters psychosocial safety, open communication, and mutual support, with daily standups, EAP services, and regular staff recognition. Leveraging resources from the BIG4's network while maintaining a close-knit, empowered team, they celebrate achievements through monthly lunches and positive guest feedback. Their commitment to hospitality excellence and genuine care for staff and visitors creates a truly exceptional workplace.

Golden Nugget Restaurant stands out as a finalist for the Outstanding Workplace Award thanks to its people first approach, authentic leadership, and commitment to staff development. Nestled in Porcupine Village, it’s become a local favourite for its Sunday sessions, locally sourced cuisine, and warm, community-driven atmosphere. The team thrives through open communication, cross-training, and a culture of trust and flexibility, resulting in strong bookings, loyal customers, and a workplace where everyone feels valued and involved.

PJ’s Discount Tyre Service stands out as a finalist for the Outstanding Workplace Award thanks to its inclusive team culture, hands-on staff development, and deep community ties. Under the leadership of Philippa and Sean, the independent dealership fosters growth through trade shows, training, and a new mechanical service arm, proving it is capable of shifting with the evolving industry. With over 30 years of local trust, PJ’s invests in its people through shared reward and recognition experiences and giving new life to their meals area with a new coffee machine, proving it’s more than just tyres, it’s a workplace built on family values and care.

Honours a business leading the way in environmental sustainability, circular economy practices or local procurement.

Goodness Flour uses deliciousness to advocate for a more equitable, sustainable and healthy world. They mill flour and build community – slowly, thoughtfully, and with deep respect for grain and the people behind it. They source grain exclusively from Australian farmers healing their land and doing exceptional work – biodynamic, organic, or spray-free – and mill it fresh in small batches to create 18 varieties of nutrient-rich, wholegrain flour and baking pre-mixes that build bakers’ confidence. They use compostable packaging, have almost zero waste, favour heritage grain varieties and have designed supply logistics to deal with the challenges of grain stored without chemicals.

Green Goes the Grocer is Castlemaine’s local source for organic produce and earth-friendly goods. They are deeply committed to reducing our environmental impact, strengthening local food systems and showing that business success can go hand-in-hand with positive social and environmental outcomes. Their approach includes zero-waste shopping options, plastic-free and compostable packaging, energy and resource efficiency and local and ethical procurement. The judges were inspired by the consistency of their commitment to sustainability in all areas of the business, work with suppliers and community groups, openness to learning from their customers and staff and the strong support of their customer community.

Like Butter is a values-driven Castlemaine-based design and manufacturing company with a steadfast commitment to ethically sourced Australian timber, innovative design, and playful functionality. They work to think through their resource use from start to finish, invest in product longevity and repair, and have embraced a degrowth business model and 4-day week. At the core is their design philosophy. Their KittaParts system is built around the idea that furniture should evolve with people’s lives, not end up in landfill when circumstances change. Every component is standardised and swappable, so customers can pull their shelving apart and reconfigure as needs change.

Awarded to a business that demonstrates leadership in building opportunities for young people to learn, work, and thrive.

Castlemaine Circus provides empowerment, escape, enjoyment and builds confidence to over 400 people every year. With a new premises the vision for the future of the circus is secure. They have responded to the need of the broader community and developed specialty classes to enable people with all sorts of challenges in their day to day lives to be able to join in activities that are safe, fun and empowering. The purpose and strength of this business and what it means to so many families and individuals of all ages is impressive. For the next generation it provides a place to build confidence, test ability, stay fit, meet people, connect, find inner strength and for many, train to become teachers, mentors and have a career in the performing arts. 

Castlemaine Mowers and Ag. is a business that offers leading brand products and great service with owners that know the importance of  ensuring that regional towns like Castlemaine have local businesses to service the town, when the only other alternative is to drive to a massive chain store for agricultural equipment and servicing. Their hands-on apprenticeship program in their workshop and TAFE qualified pathways aligns with the world standards in mechanics/small machinery sector. They work with both secondary colleges in Castlemaine providing both work experience and apprenticeships to the next generation. This provides real employment for young people with career opportunities to work globally on the very best agricultural machinery brands. 

ShedShaker Brewery is lead by owners that are passionate about their town, the community and the young people of Castlemaine. ShedShaker is a business providing opportunity and employment for the regions next generation and is often the first ‘real job’ for many. From what starts as work experience during school has evolved into full time employment, mentorship, training and further education with William Angliss Institute with certificate and degree qualifications in food and hospitality. Many are now working as professional chefs and have found what they love doing as a result of work experience. ShedShaker has continually adapted their workplace to fit and cater for challenges and diversity that many young people live with; creating roles and jobs where these young people can grow, thrive, learn, feel included and part of a team. This empowerment of purpose and value in young people cannot be underestimated.

Honours a business helping strengthen our local food system by growing, producing, sourcing or sharing local produce.

Golden Nugget Restaurant is located within Porcupine Village in Maldon. Offering a delightful setting and warm, friendly hospitality, they are building a reputation as a destination venue. There is a focus on using produce from their kitchen garden as well as highlighting local producers. Their most significant strength is the collaborative team, which is encouraged and supported to provide high-quality services and to be innovative in their approach. 

Long Paddock Cheese & The Cheese School is based at The Mill in Castlemaine, Long Paddock is an artisan cheese maker and cheese school recognised as one of the best in Australia, with international accolades increasing by the day. They are committed to the highest quality products. Specifically choosing the Central Goldfields as their home, their cheeses pay homage to the local environment. Long Paddock excels in raising the awareness and reputation of the sector as well as elevating other small artisanal producers, offering a pathway for hobbyists and full-time cheesemakers.

SuperHero Banh Mi s a local business with a reputation that extends far and wide, attracting people from all over for its Bahn Mi. It is well worth the trip, offering exceptional quality products made with high-quality ingredients and a limited menu to ensure quick service and fresh food. What began as a pop-up shop in 2018 has grown into a thriving business with ten staff members. The model is highly refined and reflects the owner’s commitment to sustainability, valuing the food we eat, supporting local food systems, and achieving zero food waste.   

Recognises a business demonstrating leadership in creating accessible spaces, services or experiences.

Big 4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park is a very high quality facility that is accessible to people with physical disabilities and those with sensory hyperawareness.  They have clear goals for improvement, have trained their staff,  and had an audit done of the premises with a view to improve their business. Their leadership in innovation covers a variety of ages and needs within the tourism industry.

Maldon Bakery has made some changes to improve accessibility and are planning more improvements.  They attract and support different abilities within young staff.  They source local suppliers, listen to the needs of the community in maintaining the history of Maldon and grow in response to community needs.  They have listened and learned from staff and the community.

Theatre Royal has responded to communities' diverse needs and ideas in design and growth of their business. They have good attitudes towards meeting the needs of customers and improving accessibility. They have listened and learned from the community.  Options for accessibility are provided on their website. They have embraced providing a variety of entertainment for our diverse community.

Recognises a business making a genuine difference locally through actions that foster connection, care or wellbeing.

Rhythm First Aid has community impact at its heart. Established and operated by an emergency nurse with significant paediatric experience, the driving motivation is to empower families to have the knowledge to provide initial care in the event of a household accident. This is significant in our current times of limitations on emergency services in regional areas. The point of difference is the tailoring of courses to the client needs– from workplace courses to courses for the local play group; and aims to make information memorable through well-designed course material, and simply making the experience fun. Nicole is highly entrepreneurial, with a quality range of products to support her aims that she is expanding. The judges were impressed by the mission of the business and believe Nicole’s passion and skill put Rhythm First Aid in an impressive position as a small business. 

The Tarrangower Times is one of the very few remaining small independent newspapers that is based in the community it serves, in a landscape of former community papers now owned by large media groups. Legacy media is not innovative, nor is it necessarily sexy. When it comes to community impact, however, it can shine. It has been serving the communities of Maldon, Baringhup and environs for 157 years, and continues to do so despite the challenges that face such operations. One of the key driving aims of the current editor, is that the paper should provide the information the community needs to participate in the decisions that affect it. Where social media can be, and often is, rife with misinformation and speculation, the TT seeks to provide information, and the means to engage and affect outcomes for the community. The judges felt that the Tarrengower Times is the outstanding entry in this category, for being so embedded in the community it services and very much of the place; for the purpose with which it operates, and for continuing to do so within a challenging environment.

The Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative is a fantastic model that is kicking goals despite being relatively new. Having just settled on the property purchase the Co-op was formed to buy, it is clear that the organisation had a strong and strategic plan, and that the Committee of Management are both skilled and well-connected within the community. The $2million purchase price for The Hub was raised from the local community investing in the vision, so it is clear that the Co-op has connected strongly with the Castlemaine community. At a time when the social pitfalls of real estate as investment strategy are all too stark, the CCIC provides a different, community-focused way to ensure strategic assets are not lost with a change of ownership. The judges felt that this next phase of managing the property, and establishing protocols, processes and extending the vision will be critical, and it will be great to see how this develops. 

Recognises a business using innovation or technology to improve how things are done – benefiting the business, community or planet.

EnviroShop Newstead is a hub for renewable energy and energy-efficient products, services, and advice across central Victoria. Frank and the team are at the forefront of innovation in the fast-evolving world of renewables such as solar, storage, and EVs, but their big differentiator is the human approach they take to tackle their problems. Whether that's through 1:1 reviews of energy uses and behaviours to find the most appropriate approaches for households, or the community workshops that they run to demystify electric vehicles - the future is bright for our region with EnviroShop Newstead!

 Like Butter specialises in modular, sustainable furniture that prioritises flexibility, versatility, and play. Innovation, quality, and humanity are the three pillars that differentiate the team at LB in world of mass produced fast furniture, and the resulting product is an awe inspiring and aesthetically beautiful piece that adapts and molds to the user's life and space as needed. Their innovative use of technology as a core backbone to the businesses not just increases efficiency, but also helps reduce their carbon footprint, and increase their financial results, all under the umbrella of empowering their team.

 Warral Maldon is dedicated to quite simply producing some of the best honey you’ll ever taste. As a fifth generation of apiarists, Lindsay certainly does not rest on his pedigree and family background, but pushes the boundaries of how things have always been done in the world of honey production. Not only does he strive for better for the sake of his bees and his team, but he also shares the advances he makes with the global apiarist community to ensure that there are no boundaries to the adoption of those progressions for the wellbeing of all.

Selected by public vote, this award celebrates a local business that holds a special place in the hearts of the community.

• Castlemaine Community Investment Co‑operative
• Shedshaker Brewing
• Theatre Royal Castlemaine